One afternoon, Thomas asked whether she was disappointed that the legal matters hadn't ended with a dramatic public confession.
Loretta considered the question.
Then she shook her head.
"I spent too long waiting for cruel people to admit they were wrong."
Thomas looked toward her.
She continued.
"What matters is that we have records people can examine, workers who know how to ask questions, and a kitchen they can't simply take away."
He nodded.
Then he smiled.
"That's better than a confession."
Loretta looked toward the griddle.
"Much better."
Not everyone in Red Dog changed.
A few miners continued making unkind remarks, especially when drinking. Some resented the higher meal prices necessary to pay kitchen employees fairly. Others complained that Loretta had become too strict about payment records and expected them to respect the women working beside her.
But the atmosphere was different.
When one drunken man tried mocking Loretta's body during a crowded supper, Daniel Mercer stood and told him the joke wasn't funny.
The man laughed.
Daniel didn't.
Several other miners looked toward the offender.
For a moment, the room became quiet.
Then Thomas continued eating and said, "If you're hungry, eat. If you want to insult the cook, go somewhere else."
Loretta watched from the counter.
She didn't need Elias to intervene.
She didn't need a fight.
The men who'd once remained silent were finally beginning to understand that treating her with respect wasn't a favor they were doing for her.
It was the ordinary standard she deserved.
The drunken miner muttered something and returned to his meal.
Loretta continued cooking.
But later, when Daniel approached to pay, she stopped him.
"Thank you."
He looked embarrassed.
"For what?"
She smiled.
"For speaking."
Daniel nodded.
Then he said, "Should've done it sooner."
Loretta looked at him.
"Yes."
The honesty surprised him.
Then she smiled.
"But I'm glad you did it today."
He laughed softly.
And for once, an apology didn't require her to pretend the past had never happened.
During those months, Elias learned that loving Loretta required more than protecting her from other people's cruelty.
It meant listening when she disagreed with him.
It meant resisting the temptation to make decisions for her simply because he could perform certain physical tasks more easily.
And sometimes, it meant accepting that his instinct to help wasn't what she needed.
One afternoon, he returned from the market carrying several bundles and discovered Loretta seated at the kitchen table examining a new order.